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Injuries Common To The Female Runner

by Dr. Jeffrey Ross, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S.

The bad news for the female runner is that she is more likely than her male counterpart to suffer certain types of injuries. The good news is that, with proper education and the right tips on injury prevention, she can minimize such injuries or eliminate them altogether.

As a sports medicine podiatrist who treats a large number of female patients, I am often asked why women experience so many mal-alignment and overuse injuries. The answer lies in the female’s physical development anatomy. When the female enters puberty and her hips broaden relative to her waist and shoulders, her pelvis begins to widen and a change at the hip occurs. This creates an accompanying change of the knees, often referred to as “knock knees”. The more “knock”, the greater the quadriceps pull. As a result, sports medicine doctors see many overuse injuries affecting the hip, knee, shin and ankle of the female runner.

I have identified five injuries common to the female runner – scoliosis, foot type and deformities, Achilles tendonitis, knee injuries and stress fractures – and suggested how to deal with them.

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A Runner’s Guide To Foot Type & Shoe Fit

by Dr. Jeffrey Ross, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S.

Knowing your foot type and the biomechanics that take place during running can be of great value when attempting to select the right running shoe. A great shoe for one runner may be completely wrong for another. If we all had the same feet and they functioned the same, we would all choose the same shoe.

By now, most runners are familiar with the three various foot types: the flat foot, where overpronation usually takes place; the normal foot type, where a normal amount of pronation occurs; and the high arched foot, where the foot under pronates.

Most runners can determine if they pronate sufficiently by examining their arch height. Another way to test is to wet the foot, stand on a dry surface, and evaluate the footprint that is created. The flat or low arched foot will show a greater surface volume, and its print will show a complete arch. The normal arch will effect a mild scooped-out arch area, whereas the high arched foot will demonstrate a hollowed out arch, barely to the opposite side.

What exactly does pronation mean? After the heel lands on the ground (heel strike), usually to the outside, the foot then rolls inward slightly to a neutral position, making full contact with the ground. This is the mid-stance phase of running gait. Now comes the time for pronation: as the foot begins to roll inwards and downward, it begins to pronate. Now, this is a vital motion for the foot due to the fact that it provides for propulsion and impacts shock absorption.

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Running On Different Surfaces

by Dr. Jeffrey Ross, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S.

Ever wonder why so many people run in the parks, on dirt trails where it’s nice and soft, rather than that hard concrete we punish ourselves on during marathons? The answer is very simple: natural trail surfaces “give”; concrete does not.

As we all know too well, the legs, knees, and feet of a runner take on the full extent of impact trauma, shock absorption, and friction. Under ideal conditions, therefore, we look for surfaces that will absorb shock to the lower extremities while simultaneously providing energy return to the foot in a continued motion.

There are quite a number of surfaces one can run on artificial snow, asphalt, bark, carpet, cinders, clay, concrete, dirt, grass, hard synthetics, rock, sand, snow, and wood. In a report featured in 1983 in Athletic Purchasing and Facilities, John Sprague described 106 synthetic surfaces for sports.

At one point, you may have run on a majority of these surfaces. Which one did you like the best, and which surface gave you the best without injury? Which surface has the best efficiency, and yet lowers the risk for repeated trauma to legs, knees, and feet?

One frequently asked question is, “Should we run on a natural surface or a synthetic surface?”

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Cross-Training for Runners

by Dr. Jeffrey Ross, D.P.M., F.A.C.F.A.S.

When cross-training comes to mind, what types of exercise or equipment do you think about? Swimming or aqua running, exercise bikes and “spinning”, treadmills and elevated speed walking, stair steppers, and now the latest craze, the elliptical trainers, are all possibilities. How many have you tried? Do you even know what they are? You may have seen a variety of designs on television, and if you belong to a health club, then you’ve probably seen them.

I discovered them about a year ago when I went to my health club’s exercise and weight room after a run. I was looking for an alternative to the stair stepper, which I felt put stress on my knees, Achilles tendons, and the balls of my feet. I saw this interesting machine called the “elliptical trainer.” It looked pretty simple, and the pedals were fairly large to stand on. As I watched others exercising on the machine, I noticed that their feet and legs never experienced any impact. That immediately got my curiosity going! I also saw that the movement on the machine was similar to running or climbing. I’m a runner who also likes to cross-country ski, but this seemed to be easier than both. All of the participants appeared to be working up a good sweat, and they were all either watching television or reading the newspaper. I liked that just as much.

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Get Into The Marathon Mindset

By Coach Michael Merlino


As you complete those final peak long runs 6-8 weeks before your goal marathon or half marathon race the best thing you can do is get your head into the marathon mindset while your body is racking up the miles you need for a great race.

With that in mind here are some final tips to refine and get the most out of your weekly peak long runs as you approach race day. These tips would work for anyone who is training for a marathon or half marathon, especially those who are about 2 months away from their goal race.

Take A Hot Shower Before Each Long Run
Allow enough time in the morning before you run to jump in the shower and rinse off with a nice hot shower. This helps loosen and wake up your muscles before you ask them to perform.

Treat Each Long Run Like A Simulated Marathon or Half Marathon
These final weeks are your final chances to practice how you will have to perform on marathon day. How you perform on race day has as much to do with the small things you do right just as much as the physical training. Go to bed early and lay out your clothes the night before each long run.  Get up at the same time pre-long run as you would for marathon day. Practice eating a pre-race breakfast to test out which foods give you good energy while minimizing stomach issues.

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